


Agree to Disagree

by Eeisul



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Everyone Has Issues, Fights, Fluff, M/M, Mentioned Darksparks, Mirage | Elliott Witt Being an Idiot, Other, Slow Burn, gay relationships, happy ending sad ending you’ll never know, mentioned Lobalore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:33:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27754642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eeisul/pseuds/Eeisul
Summary: Elliott Witt has always loved attention from the other Legends. However, ever since Crypto was announced to be the mole, everyone seems to be more closed off. For this handsome legend, he decides to take action and fix the situation. However, Elliott ends up biting more than he can chew.
Relationships: Crypto | Park Tae Joon/Mirage | Elliott Witt
Comments: 17
Kudos: 52





	1. Just the Beginning

~

After the whole drama with Revenant, things at the Dropship hadn’t been the same. For starters, the tension between Anita and Loba had quickly spurred into something...odd. Ever since the commander had gone after Loba alone one night, things had taken a significant turn. The two were frequently seen together while the Syndicate decided to move arenas. Elliot was first to notice the change in their relationship. Being his flirtatious self, he has a pretty keen eye for small gestures. Anita's offer for a back rub after Loba won champion didn't go unnoticed. Elliott didn’t mind though. In his opinion, he very much preferred the commander tending to Loba's every need rather than the several miss shots at the firing range. In his defense, everyone’s mood is what’s been throwing him off focus. Seriously.

  
  


Nobody comes to the lounge anymore, not even Pathfinder. The poor guy still sulks in his room even though it's been weeks since Ash left. Not to mention all of the flowers Elliott sent over. That should have helped right? You'd think a robot would have some sort of programming for this kind of stuff. But first time breakups are hard, the only real medicine is time. One day Elliott will give a few pointers to the bot, maybe ease his mind off of the female machine when they go to drinking again. But in the state he's in, there's no way. He would know, the trickster often stops by to check up on his friend. who knew Pathfinder had a crying emote built in. Sometimes at night Elliott can hear the quiet sniffles of the robot. Poor guy. 

Although Bloodhound comes to the kitchen frequently, it's only for a moment. Their behavior has stayed relatively the same. In normal circumstances, the trickster would let them be on their way. But because of Elliott's new desperation for any interaction, he's actually tried to strike a conversation a few times. Desperate enough to poke at Bloodhound’s odd interests he's heard them mumble about in the arena. However, much like everyone else, his efforts end up fruitless, a simple nod from the other before they quickly trot off to their room to their stash of snacks for Arthur. 

Even though most legends didn’t pay him much attention in general, the ones that spared him the spotlight were also nowhere to be seen. Makoa also hasn't been his usual self. Often camping around Alexander's room. Elliott can only assume there must have been an argument he doesn’t know about. But for the friendly giant to offer such unforgiving looks towards the scientist, it can’t be good.

Speaking of scientists, Natalie’s been a wreck. Renee has been with her through all, from beginning to end, the blonde is definitely a handful. Which explains why Renee hasn’t had any time for Elliott. Honestly, who knew the kid was capable of such vulgar words. Definitely won’t forget her comments towards Alexander and Crypto.

  
  


Overall, a lot happened. And Elliott knew he didn’t have a place in it. As much as he missed the drinking parties the Legends often had, he knew everyone needed time to cool off. He didn’t mind the atmosphere. Not in the beginning anyway. The trickster knew everyone would eventually move on, figure it out, whatever they needed to do.

_______________________________________

  
  


Update, it’s been several weeks and nobody has moved on.

  
  


Elliott didn’t know how he ended up on the front door of the hacker’s room. Perhaps it was the chilling silence that drove him to insanity. Or maybe it was the glance at himself this morning. Seeing his perfect self crumble somewhere between homeless and lazy, it proved for decent motivation to fix things up between everyone. As much as Elliott didn’t want to admit it, this wasn’t good for him. Despite the trickster’s immense patience of two weeks, nothing was coming to a resolution. And clearly, he couldn't be alone anymore. It wasn’t his fault things broke out between the legends. Nearly a month in and he’s the only one ready for hugs. Elliott wasn’t built for this. He craved for someone to be with, even if it was the mole himself. Whatever the circumstance, Elliott decided it was time to find out the truth. And where better than the root of the issue?

  
  


_ Knock Knock. _

  
  


“Hey Crippy, you there?” 

  
  


Elliott’s voice came out croaked, having just woke up moments ago. He also mentally face-palmed himself after realizing what he said. Of course Crypto was in his room, idiot. Where else would he be?

  
  


“Listen, uh- I know everyone is sort of mad at you. But I’m not!” 

  
  


Silence. 

  
  


He backed away from the door, pacing back and forth. The trickster quietly cringed at how awkward his remarks turned out. This wasn’t working. Though he half expected Crypto to come out of his room, leaping into his arms and thanking him for his kindness. Elliott could only sigh in frustration. He slicked back his unkempt hair, fixing his appearance a bit to hide his own embarrassment. It was like he was talking to a wall. But in this case, a door.

He looked and felt like a fool out in the hallway. The man considered what the other legends would think of him if they saw him right now. For starters, his sweatshirt hood was pulled so far down he looked like a grim reaper. Not to mention his beard hadn’t been trimmed since the Syndicate decided to give everyone a breather. Overall, he wasn’t exactly pulling off the “perfect” image as of now.

But.. It’s probably nowhere near how Crypto feels, he realizes. Elliott couldn’t imagine everyone on the Dropship turning their back on him. Hell, he can’t even last this long with nobody mad at him in the first place. And to think the hacker’s relationships he had built since he arrived had all shattered in an instant. Elliott’s eyes softened. Sure, the two legends had their differences. But the trickster couldn’t bring himself to ditch a teammate, even if everyone else thought otherwise.

Elliott stood in front of the door again, giving himself a quick pep talk to muster up some courage. His face stood mere inches away from the door. He took a deep breath, sorting his thoughts. His hand emerged from his front pocket, making its way to the locked door. The trickster bumped his knuckles on the door gently. 

  
  


“Listen, I know we don’t usually get along. And uh- I know I might not be the best listener, but I want to know the truth. From you.”

  
  


It took a moment, but Elliott swore he heard some sort of rustle come from the other end. His eyes lit up as the sounds of movement grew louder. He backed up, waiting for the hacker to open the door. He could hear the thumps of footsteps approaching the entrance. Elliott grew fidgety as time elapsed, picking at his sweatshirt in anticipation, preparing an entire speech of what to say as soon as the door opened. However, instead, the sounds quickly diminished, leaving Elliott to the sounds of his own breath.

Defeated, Elliott turned towards his own room. What did he expect? Just because everyone hated Crypto right now except for him, it didn’t change their bickering relationship. Perhaps everyone was right, maybe he shouldn’t bother trying to stick up for someone who didn’t even want to talk to him. Much less be friends. Still, the trickster couldn’t help feeling a bit hurt at his attempts for make-up ending in futility. He at least wished his genuine gestures would be acknowledged. But instead he was ignored, as always. He pulled at his hoodie strings to cover up his disappointment. Oddly, he waited a second more, hoping to prove himself wrong. And in the end he was. As the door behind him clicked open, a familiar voice had Elliott softly smile.

“Hey, Witt..”


	2. Professional Pretender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elliott's attempts for a meet up go unexpected. It seems Crypto has his own plans to deal with the Dropship's dilemma.

~

Elliott wasn’t sure why he smiled. He didn’t understand the strange feeling that suddenly arose after hearing his name - much less from Crypto. Suddenly it felt like his communication skills had diminished. His stomach soon knotted into nervousness. It must have been because nobody has talked to him lately. Yeah, that’s definitely it. But then again, it was true. It felt so nice to have another Legend acknowledge his existence after so long. He couldn’t help acting the way he did. Growing up, attention was always a competition amongst his brothers. As it’s obvious right now, clearly he never got enough of it. Elliott could only smile sheepishly at the attention as he slowly turned around to face the culprit. However, once fully turned, his grin as well as the butterflies quickly diminished.

  
  


“Holy shit, what happened to you?”

  
  


There was no way this was Crypto. Clearly, the Dropship’s drama hadn’t only affected Elliott. Based on the hacker’s expression, he wasn’t exactly expecting visitors. His hair no longer brushed against his forehead neatly. Instead, it was in all sorts of places. Matted down in some areas, the bangs across his face were swept awkwardly in opposite directions - probably bed head - but there was no way gravity was the only factor. Crypto’s choice of clothing was also something else. His white t-shirt was littered in stains, not to mention his sweatpants also rocking a similar look. Thankfully, Elliott was saved from seeing the rest of the horrors as the hacker was only half out the door.

  
  


“Arraso, if you just came to pick at me then be on your way.” The hacker spoke softly, his tired eyes clearly not in the mood for bickering. Instead, looking beyond the trickster as if he hadn’t come alone. Which of course came across as odd to Elliott. He expected a decent reaction. The man had prepared several comebacks if the hacker even slightly mentioned the beard. He felt a bit let down that he couldn’t use them, they took a while to come up with.

  
  


Elliott shook his head at first, verbally unable to respond as he was too focused on holding back from wrinkling his nose at the scents coming from Crypto’s room.  _ Maybe it’s something he ate - or maybe something expired? Yuck.  _ The trickster gave his cheeks a quick tap. He needed to focus, he needed answers.

  
  


“Uh- no. I actually wanted to talk.” 

  
  


Crypto nodded, sluggishly opening his door a bit more to let Elliott in. Which the trickster also took by surprise. He’d never been inside Crypto’s room, much less the hallway leading up to it.

  
  


As Elliott walked inside, the effects were instant. Smells infiltrated his nose, it made him gag. The mix of instant noodles and wet laundry definitely didn’t go together. The room was also very dark, Elliott couldn’t see a thing for a moment. With each step inside the room his feet caught hold of all sorts of things. Clothes, containers, and other things he didn’t want to know.  _ How has this guy been living? _ Like a runaway. Clearly. Whatever’s been going through the hacker’s head, it’s definitely reflected in this mess. 

  
  


Expecting a word from his host once inside, Crypto was suddenly nowhere to be seen. Elliott had noticed the odd silence as soon as he got in, but had assumed it was simply the hacker’s drowsiness to blame. The sluggish man had to be somewhere. Unable to think of anything, Elliott swiped the area in front of him with his hand, searching for Crypto’s body. It didn’t help that the room was stuffy. A fog of literal dust had Elliott constantly rub at his eyes, squinting as he looked for the other. Come to think of it, each of the legend’s rooms weren’t very big.  _ So where was he? _

  
  


“Yah, what are you playing at?” A voice boomed in Elliott’s ears, seemingly right behind him. A familiar tone to the trickster. Naturally, he jumped, letting out a pathetic yelp in the process.

  
  


His ears turned red, slowly spreading across his face due to the surprise. As much as Elliott didn’t want to admit, he blushed pretty easily. Not necessarily from being flustered. It was from anything, really. In favor of the trickster, no one picked up on the trait. Except for Renee, she notices everything. But his flaw often appeared in the arena, amidst all the shooting though, it was pretty hard to notice.

  
  


“I don’t know what you mean, buddy. But the amount of dust in here is prepos- preposte- it’s disgusting.” Elliott remarked, trying to dismiss himself from his silly actions. A realization: his hand was still outstretched. Swiftly, he tried playing it cool, turning around and taking the opportunity to awkwardly thread his fingers into his tangled curls. A second realization: Crypto was much closer than he sounded. 

  
  


Elliott went flying to the ground. A blow to his feet had him stumbling into the mess beneath him. He fell with a loud thud, the impact with the hardwood floor bruising his body. The searing pain was instant, a gradual soreness flowering soon after in his elbow and hip from the fall. The trickster’s mouth could only let out a silent cry. Before he could recover, Elliott felt a weight push down against his chest, as well as onto his forearms, holding him down with an impressive force. On top of being completely defenseless, It was near impossible to breathe, his staggered gasps of air were sour, heavily contaminated from the room. 

  
  


“Unlike you, Witt, I won’t let everyone step all over me.” 

  
  


It was a fluke. Elliott knew he shouldn’t have slipped up - figuratively and literally. He had a feeling something was off about the other as soon as the door was opened. He should have known. You’d think the Games would teach you a thing or two about someone. But there’s always something you won’t know until it’s too late. For Elliott, it was obvious.  _ Crypto doesn’t do slip ups.  _

  
  


Elliott pushed against his oppressor, his legs kicking up frantically to push Crypto off balance. It worked for a moment, the hacker grunting as his hold on the other Legend loosened. They went on for minutes, pursuing each other with different motives. It was a marathon of strength, sweat began to bead across both Legends’ faces, each desperate to win. Crypto seemed to have had the upper hand though, snagging an old t-shirt nearby into Elliott’s face, suffocating him.

  
  
His vision blurred, purple spots encircled everywhere as his consciousness slowly went to sleep. His flailing eventually stopped. Elliott clearly was unable to fight any longer, tiredness slowly overcoming him. His body ached though, his injured limbs and torso still unable to catch a break with Crypto sitting atop of him.  _ Is this where it ended? Was Crypto really going to kill him? _ Elliott’s thoughts broke away. The sweet gentleness of slumber took control, his eyes now closing peacefully.


	3. Always Expect the Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elliott's awake, and it seems the surprises fail to end. He's never ready for what's coming for him.

~

Everything was a haze, it was dark, the trickster was too disoriented to snap out of his waking trance. His senses hardly recovered, the man struggling to piece together his thoughts. Still trying to wake up, his surroundings paid no mercy to jog his memory. The polluted air attacked his nose almost immediately, forcing him to cough. It hurt. Elliott’s throat burned, he felt completely parched, desperate for some water. Not too long after, he could feel the returning ache of his torso and arms. They felt suspended. He then realized his limbs were constricted above his head, applying pressure to his injuries with every tug. The trickster gave an experimenting wiggle, groaning at his aches as he felt.. Rope? 

  
  


Elliott began piecing together his situation. He was knocked out. He was tied up. His body hurt, a lot. And he was in Crypto’s room. Everything happened too fast, and he was unprepared for all of it. At least Elliott was back in his head. Almost. The trickster could hear a distant mumbling, unsure if he was simply hearing voices. Squinting within the dark room, he could make out what he assumed to be Crypto, pacing back and forth near the door.

  
  


Maybe it was the wet-ramen-laundry smell that was getting to Elliott, but something about the hacker’s actions seemed,  _ uncomfortable.  _ His pacing looked rushed and frantic. The usual calm, synthetic hands that remained hidden in his pockets fumbled around his face, wiping his forehead every few seconds. 

  
  


An odd thought came to Elliott. Could it be, Crypto hadn’t meant to knock him out? Clearly by the other’s actions he seemed stressed. Thinking about it more thoroughly though, it wasn’t something to be flattered by. The situation shared with Natalie had affected the hacker significantly. The smelly room was proof of that. But that wasn’t the only factor. Based on Elliott’s  _ very _ recent experiences, Crypto isn’t in control. He wasn’t physically able to stop himself from nearly killing the trickster. Elliott shivered away from the thought. It was either Crypto was the mole or he wasn’t. A majority of Elliott felt he was, it would make sense. Based on the other legend’s actions, he was losing his mind. Nobody would be able to keep their cool if they had been found out. Clearly, that was happening to Crypto as of now. 

  
  


Too lost in his thoughts, Elliott fumbled a little too noticeably. He had meant to stretch his legs, uncomfortable from sitting on the hardwood floor. A simple desire to ease the pressure on his bottom after a while, an innocent motive. He overestimated his privileged range, knocking over a paper container, catching Crypto’s attention immediately. Elliott’s heart dropped from his chest. The insane legend instantly walked up to the vulnerable trickster. The hacker slowly lowered himself to Elliott’s level, leaning over past his right cheek and into his ear.

  
  
  


“Do tell me, Witt,” Crypto began, an obvious grit to his tone, “Who was it that sent you?”

  
  
  


Elliott was too shaken up to respond. He knew his imprisoner could hear his heart beat wildly. He needed to say something. If he didn’t, Elliott was near certain Crypto would kill him. The frightened legend could only manage to open his mouth, desperately trying to vocalize a sentence. It didn’t help that Crypto was right in his face,  _ waiting for him _ . Two dark, beady eyes penetrating any thoughts Elliott wanted to convey. He needed to tell him, tell the hacker he came alone. But he couldn’t, his body wouldn’t allow him to. Elliott was still frozen in place, his mind blank with fear. A hand came to pull at the trickster’s chin, roughly squeezing his jaw painfully.

  
  


“I’ll give you five seconds,  gae sae-kki.”

  
  


“Five.”

  
  


He never had seen Crypto like this. Not even in the arena. Not even when Elliott had accidentally broken his keyboard to pieces. He couldn’t do this. He was physically paralyzed, all feeling left him. The pains in the trickster’s abdomen and arms had easily become irrelevant. The new sensation of Crypto’s vice-grip on his chin flustered the legend.

  
  


“Four.”

  
  


Shit. Time was ticking. Or more accurately, Crypto’s patience. Why couldn’t he talk? Words came fluidly to Elliott in every situation, not the most coherent but at least something came out. He needed that now. But his tongue was tied, it was as if Crypto had numbed him beforehand, intentionally toying with Elliott before sending him to his death. That couldn’t happen, Elliott had a job to do, nobody else would do it. It had to be him. That very thought was enough motivation to force out a few syllables, random syllables, but the trickster hoped that would help soothe the Legend’s bubbling impatience. It didn’t. His jaw felt like it would snap, Crypto squeezed with unbelievable strength, disfiguring his lips awkwardly as he counted down faster.

  
  


“Three.”

  
  


“Two.”

  
  


“One.”

  
  


Elliott pinched the skin of his forearm, snagging a few arm hairs to force himself to regain control. His throat cleared up, fighting past the soreness to clear his voice. He needed to say the right thing. If he spouted anything that the hacker could connect to his conspiracies, it was over for sure. Elliott closed his eyes tightly, preparing for whatever consequence would come. 

  
  


“It’s not you… I know it isn’t you.” 

  
  


It must have worked. Elliott didn’t want to take his chances to look though, content with the silence. His words were half a lie, Elliott couldn’t bring himself to believe Crypto wasn’t the mole, especially with how he was treated. However It’s what the hacker wanted to hear, the suspenseful distance between the two gone completely as Crypto sat down in front of him. Elliott’s habitual bluffing had saved his possible fate. It wasn’t over yet, the trickster still needed answers. But for now, he could at least catch his breath. 

Once he did, his tense demeanor gradually returned. Elliott would probably have to lie some more, and he needed to be in the right headspace to do so. More importantly, he needed to get out of these ropes. Or maybe he didn’t. As the trickster opened his eyes, it had appeared his paralysis had transferred over to the other Legend. It looked like the hacker was in shock. Despite the dark, it was obvious that the man was hunched over, sort of in a daze. For the first time since Elliott had interacted with Crypto, he seemed relieved by his remarks.

An odd feeling arose inside Elliott. And if you had asked him what it was, he couldn’t tell you. Past the pains and aches of his body as of now, for some reason, he felt guilty. There was something about Crypto’s expression that pulled away the resentment Elliott felt for the other. As sweet as it sounded, it distraught the trickster.

  
  


After a moment of deep thought from both parties, Crypto was first to move. Swiftly, he pulled a pocket knife from a drawer behind him, freeing Elliott’s bound hands. It was in an odd manner though, the hacker came uncomfortably close, pushing against Elliott with his own body while his other hand rubbed at his stomach, Elliott’s face grew hot at the sensual touch. It happened fast. Before he knew it, Crypto was up in his face, examining the trickster’s reaction. However, he quickly sat back down in front of his prisoner, looking intent as if he expected his victim to understand. The look pierced him, Elliott soon swerving away from his gaze and prayed the hacker didn’t notice how red his face had turned. Elliott’s head spun in embarrassment. Sure, he had his fair share of flirting, but never on the receiving end. The sudden intimate gesture caught him off guard. Especially since Crypto had never been the pursuing type, often alone doing his own activities. 

  
  


“Mianhae…” The hacker spoke, breaking Elliott’s thoughts. “Sorry for tying you up.” He translated. It was like a whisper, but the sincerity of his words echoed in Elliott as his face cooled down. Despite his vulnerable tone, the trickster was reminded of Crypto’s capabilities as their eyes met. Dark, piercing, and intent. But it's no longer cold. They were more, pleading. For sex maybe? Elliott didn't know. 

  
  


Returning to gesture, the darker haired legend invited Elliott to stand up. Crypto helped, hoisting up the trickster as his body had gone through a lot. Elliott was quickly reminded of it, hissing in pain as the hacker accidentally grabbed at his side. Despite the error, his touch was oddly gentle. His synthetic hands were cold, it felt like a portable ice pack. The physical contact seemed almost soothing. Almost. There was still tension between the two. Mostly on Elliott’s end as he tried forgetting Crypto’s sensual actions. 

  
  


“Be careful, Witt. You’re much too of a… person to understand everything”

  
  


Again, his remarks were quiet. But Elliott had paid attention to Crypto’s words, fluster leaving him while agitation gradually spurred as the two made their way towards the door. On a normal occasion, Elliott would brush off such remarks. He was used to them. Everyone always pushed him aside, telling him he was irrelevant. That he can’t help. This was different though, the situation affected him  _ directly.  _ The Legends - his friends - seemed like they were leaving him. He felt alone. 

  
  


As Elliott limped his way to the door, he stopped before opening it. Crypto noticed, pausing away from the trickster as he waited for his next move. Elliott’s hands tightened into fists, his anger bubbling to the surface. He took a breath, then two. This wasn’t the place to pick another fight, the trickster was smart enough to know. He turned his head, looking at the hacker intently. 

  
  


“I’m already in this mess, Crippy. And I plan to fix it.”

  
  


He walked out cooly, trying to avoid a reaction to the brighter setting after being in the dark so long. Elliott inhaled deeply, the air had a metallic smell, but as of now, it smelled the best to the trickster. Though he was free, Elliott was still bound to the complexities of the Dropship. Elliott turned to the hacker similarity when he had entered. But this time, with new injuries. 

  
  


He had that look again. The natural light that filtered through the hallway only encouraged it, emphasizing Crypto’s intent yet pleading gaze. Seriously, did he want sex? Elliott had been questioning his sexuality lately… But there was no way he would stoop low to accept the odd invitation, much less from Crypto. Though a hint would be nice, Elliott stood there confused, trying to interpret the silence. However, he quickly got his hint. And he definitely wasn’t expecting it to come stopping towards him. Crypto gave one last glance behind Elliott, pausing to look back at the trickster before shutting his door quickly. 

  
  


Elliott shrugged at the hacker's rushed motions and turned casually to face whoever was coming. He had nothing to hide, nothing to worry about. Both his hands came to his front hoodie pocket, beginning to clasp together before feeling something between them. He paused briefly, toying with the odd piece before stopping completely. An “Aha” moment came to the trickster, now understanding Crypto’s inappropriate touches. It wasn’t an invitation. It was a distraction, to place some sort of chip in his hoodie. And now, Elliott realized he did have something to hide. A chilling voice woke Elliott from his findings, the familiar raspiness of none other than the sick scientist himself.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's probably a lot of spelling errors in this one, oopsie

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not a writer, this is purely for self-indulgence. Just wanted to share with others who have similar interests :)


End file.
